Marketing Consultant, Public Speaker, Founder of Miami Public Speakers Inc, and DAD are just a few titles that represent our Personal Brands We Love featured superstar, Jeff Zelaya. Jeff has traveled across the US teaching business executives, students, HR professionals and entrepreneurs all about how to leverage social media, marketing and PR to reach their goals. Awarded with the Volunteer Group of the Year Award, Jeff remains an active community leader by connecting individuals with volunteer opportunities in the South Florida Area. His motivational and inspirational delivery will educate and entertain any audience. He has created a brand that sets him apart from other sales professionals in his industry by consistently working to help his clients achieve their goals through his marketing expertise. Read more on how he created a personal brand that landed him on LinkedIn's List of Most Recommend Speaker's.

Describe your personal brand in three words:

Helping You Succeed

30 second elevator pitch, Go!

If you are a marketer, PR professional, in sales or even a recent college grad, you will benefit greatly from a conversation with me. I've led marketing efforts for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, non-profits and a very diverse group of organizations. The knowledge and experience I've gained could be of great value to you. Together we can collaborate by learning from each other and helping one another reach our goals.

Current position

Sales Executive at Vocus

What is a typical day like for you?

I wake up to feed my newborn son and then I go to work where I attend lots of meeting/presentations. It's fun, I am living my dream and loving every minute.

What part did your personal brand play in getting you to where you are today?

My personal brand helped get me a job offer and is a very important factor in my new business development. My personal brand is a competitive advantage and a seal of trust and credibility, it is the reason clients choose to work with me over others.

Describe a failure that you have experienced and what you did to recover:

I fail often because I want to succeed. Like a bodybuilder I strive for failure because I understand that it helps me grow. Although I’ve mastered it, I often fail in showing people the value of my product. It can be very frustrating to see a great fit but not be able to convey it to the person in a way that makes sense to them. I am working on getting better at this every day.

How did you garner press coverage and media attention?

I was recently featured in the Huffington Post and on the Huffington Live Show. It was an inbound media opportunity that came from one of the Producers searching the web for FATHER related content. She stumbled on my blog post “Why growing up without a dad was the best thing to happen to me!” The post had gone viral and she noticed it and reached out to me.

What has been the greatest opportunity you have been offered?

While I was in college I received an amazing opportunity, by the the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, to live in D.C. and work for a Government agency for 6 months . The experience as well the people I met has opened up huge doors of opportunity for me.

What were the steps you took in college that impacted your professional success?

Doing internships! I did about 7 and all of them were paid. Don’t give in, know your value and sell your value. Get experience while getting paid. It’s possible and was a requirement for me as a First Generation College Student paying my way through college.

What would you say to a young person who wants to work in your industry?

Decide and go for it! Build your brand and leverage that to find the right opportunity that fits you.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

Big things! I will be traveling down to Miami later this month to do a Social Media Workshop and presentation to the Florida International University Sales Academy. The 4th quarter is also the busiest at Vocus so that will keep me very occupied and happy for the time being. By the way, 2014 is going to be HUGE. Just watch!